


Keeping You Company

by m4dh4tteywrites, WillGrammer



Series: The Mayor and The Detective [2]
Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Awkwardness, Father-Daughter Relationship, Flashbacks, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Ivy is adorable, Jimmy is a good man, M/M, Mentions of the past, Old Friends, Oswald's nervous breakdowns and panic, awkward silence, mentions of Dark!Ed, paranoid thoughts, protect Oswald
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-18
Updated: 2017-08-18
Packaged: 2018-12-16 21:41:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11837592
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/m4dh4tteywrites/pseuds/m4dh4tteywrites, https://archiveofourown.org/users/WillGrammer/pseuds/WillGrammer
Summary: Jim has finally taken the offer to join Oswald and Ivy for lunch thanks to the Penguin's persuasion; they spend a lot of time talking to each other while stuffing their stomach with pizza goodness. But at the same time, these feelings might be moving too fast for the both of them.





	Keeping You Company

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry this took awhile, hope you guys enjoy it!  
> Some parts could be triggering through Oswald's thoughts, just letting you know. ^^
> 
> Me as Jim, and Ivy  
> Alex as Oswald.

 

He heard about Jim's efforts to make things right with Lee. He also heard about his fails and what she told him, and that was heartbreaking. Still, though, not everybody fitted to handle the life that came with dating a police detective. The risks were obvious, and of course, her husband was a part of it;

 

from the second he got the virus in his blood system and put the girl at risk, James did all he could to save her, not sparing her ill husband's life, not letting him end up like Captain Barnes who was in Arkham for awhile now. And yet Lee continued to haunt him with her words and wouldn't even look at him, and that drove the mayor nearly over the edge.

 

 _Everything he did he did for you,_ The Penguin thought bitterly to himself for just a second before feeling his daughter's hands being wrapped around his waist.

 

His heartbeat slowed down and every last drop of hate towards Lee Thompkins disappeared from him. He wished he could say the same about the pain in Jim's heart, but that was his task for today. Hopefully, he'll manage to bring peace to the man, even if just for a little while.

 

Oswald blushed when Jim mentioned him eating doughnuts in the past before he had adopted Ivy, and all he could think about is how he struggled at first to figure out the best way to make her eat vegetables she didn't like. _I wish mother and father were here,_ he would think all the while his little flower had already finished what was on her plate and asked for another one, and all he could do was to grin as his heart pumped through his chest in excitement to his own success at getting the girl to have a healthy dinner.

 

No matter what she had to eat when she was homeless, now she was no longer so dangerously thin and in rags; she had a home now. And a father.

 

“Of course we could bring some for Selina! Do you think she'll like tuna, like me? Or pepperoni?” He chuckled as he held the girl's tiny hand in his own, rubbing her fingers as he did, holding onto his cane in his other hand and giving a sweet smile to Jim, who held Ivy's other hand with no question, delight written all over his face and a proud smile over his features.

 

 _Oh thank God. Edward wouldn't even look at her!_ Then again his ex was never one to socialize, especially not with children, he understood, in a way, but he also understood how a child could turn someone's life upside down, and that was something Edward sadly was yet to understand himself.

 

Walking into the nice restaurant, Oswald, as usual, received words of support from the people inside. He nodded at them with a warm smile, before turning to sit along with Ivy and Jim, placing his little girl over his good leg so she could reach the tall table.

 

“Soon enough you'll be too big to sit on my leg like that,” he sighed and kissed the top of her head before handing her one of the menus, watching Jim with shining eyes. “I take her here every month, I'm surprised how cozy this place is. The pizza is good,” he chuckled, then looked down into his own menu.

 

“Oh yes, Tuna is her favorite actually! It would be nice for her to eat some amazing food other than having to steal.” Ivy grinned with a few fits of giggles. The last time they stole a few bucks for burgers, Oswald had to scold the both them for making him worry. Even though Selina was inclined to be on her own, she had never forgotten to visit the manor once in awhile, without Ed noticing of course. At some point, she was practically family too. Bridget would even come along to get away from her abusive brothers, just so the three could chat in peace. Now that Edward was out of the picture, the two girls came to visit without hesitation, and their bond had grown even stronger.

 

The memories brought joy to Ivy's face just thinking about it, tugging at her father's hand excitedly, “Oh oh! We should some pepperoni, with a bit spicy stuff, in case Bridget is there with Selina!” both she and father shared grins and little laughs whilst James smiled humbly at this beautiful moment unfolding before his eyes. It was something he always wanted with Barbara. And then Lee. But the image faded oh so long ago after everything that happened; Babs was long gone the moment she was traumatized and killed her own parents. Lee with her injected husband. It's like every relationship he ever came across, he brought danger with him. Well, except Oswald. No, it was never really a problem, the only complication was Penguin being a criminal, and Jim a cop; hearts were broken, lies were told and secrets were kept here and there.

 

But even after everything, for so many years, here he was. Sharing smiles with not only Oswald but with his little daughter Ivy too. Jim would love to have this forever… and it wasn't just to escape the stress. The thought of taking care of a child has always been a pleasure and priceless token in life to the officer. Perhaps, this could be a start. Ivy and Oswald could have extra protection him being a cop and such, whilst enjoying every dose of family connection with them. This is really the life. The aroma and the atmosphere brought more confidence to Jim. It's been a while he walked into a nice restaurant for a good meal. But it was especially enlightening that even in a city deep in darkness, there are still citizens who were decent enough to support Oswald through his decisions. His lips curled and nodded a few times at a few people who said their condolences about Uncle Frank and his father.

 

As nice as it was, he didn't want thoughts to be crawling upon again, not in a moment like this, “No I won't! I'm sure I'll still manage to cuddle up beside you even as I grow up.” Ivy gave a little playful pout before laughing softly with a kiss on the cheek in return before her eyes shifted right and left through the menu, her tummy grumbling at the choices. Gordon looked over his own menu, his stomach tend to growled softly in need too. Wow I would feel stupid to turn down this ooffer.Meeting Oswald’s gaze again with a grin, and his eyes glistened back in awe, “Well, that's very nice of you. And come to think of it, this was one of our favorite places at one point.” the fond memories showering his mind like an addictive movie while Ivy couldn't help but beam at their soft little interaction, not only happy seeing her father blossom in his features but thrilled to see a real genuine smile on Mr. Gordon's face.

 

Oswald chuckled at the mention of Selina and Bridget. The two were his daughter's best friends and he was thankful she didn’t know loneliness as well as he did around her age. The way she talked about them with such excitement was enough to bring peace to the mayor's heart, knowing his little flower wasn't isolated from society. If that were ever to happen he wasn't sure he’d be able to stop himself from pushing both the children and their parents down a very long staircase, no matter who they were, just like he advised the boy Luke when he was touring around school… with Ed by his side.

 

He shook the memory off and rested his chin over Ivy's head, playing with her as she and Jim both looked at the menus. Soon enough he cued a nice waitress that they were ready to order, the smile over the detective’s features hypnotized him for a moment. He is looking so much happier than he did earlier at the pprecinct, The Penguin thought to himself and took comfort in the fact that spending time with himself and Ivy must bring James right where he wished to be, with Barbara or Lee, but neither didn't work out due to disasters that happened.

 

James grew both stronger and weaker with what life at Gotham had thrown him even since he began investigating the Wayne murder, when they first met. When he saw him as Fish Mooney’s umbrella boy. The words ‘Whoever you want me to be,’ that the detective said after being asked who he was always brought a smile over the mayor's features. _Such a smooth tongue you have, Gordon._

 

Snapping out from his daydreaming, Oswald smiled at the patient waitress. “I'm sorry, I dozed off for a moment.” he apologized and watched the nice girl shaking her head. “No need to apologize, sir. It's very nice to see you and Ivy here again.” she said softly and watched Jim with sadness in her eyes, “I'm sorry about your uncle, detective.” she said before turning back to the mayor.

 

Looking at Jim to make sure he was alright before telling the girl their order, Oswald wished he could just take the blond home and spoil him even further. He raised his chin from Ivy's head and smiled a small smile. “A large tuna tray please, about...let's make it 9 slices, and another tray with pepperoni please,” he paused to smile playfully at Ivy and then at Jim before looking back at the waitress. “With... _spicey stuff,_ please. Also 9 slices.”

 

The waitress giggled after writing the order down. “Got it, sir. It will take about 20 minutes. Anything to drink while you wait?” the mayor thought for a moment. “Hmm...coca cola should do it, thank you.” of course that he only allowed Ivy to drink that sugar bombed soda only when they were out for junk food, which was every few months. It was nice to just eat and drink without really minding the sugar and fat every once in awhile, the healthy lifestyle could easily drive anyone insane, so it was good to just… enjoy something they didn't eat or drink very often.

 

Oswald's smile and freckled cheeks are both incredible aesthetics to Gordon's gaze. It always brought his heart to a calm beating, his mind played all those phenomenal memories the two shared together. It didn't matter if they were sharing laughs or fighting over unwashed dishes piling in the sink, it was something real, genuine, and as honest as possible. When Oswald apologized to the waitress, Jim chuckled under his breath, the smaller man always lost in a daze. _I wonder what he's thinking about._ The detective nodded at the lady, “It's okay. Thank you very much.”

 

Ivy swore she was drooling to the sound of their order, she had to wipe her bottom lip even though there wasn't any form of saliva there. She grinned in response to Oswald before giving another happy clap when spicy stuff was mentioned. The little girl also have grown to love a little kick of chili thanks to Bridget, who put extra red peppers in Ivy's Chinese takeout as a prank and ended up loving it. But as good as junk was, she wouldn’t have eaten the food alone without her wonderful friends or amazing father and Mr. Gordon, “Yeeeeeee I can't wait! Thank you, papa, for not only treating me but bringing Mr. Gordon with us!”

 

Jim laughed lightly in return, his cheeks began to flush a light shade of pink whilst scratching the back of his neck sheepishly, “Well, your father can be very persuasive, especially when it comes to people he admires so much.” the blonde man shared another stare with Oswald’s aqua diamonds, that sparkled. After a few minutes, two drinks of cola have arrived, the blackness sizzling in the glasses which brought excitement in Ivy letting out fits of squeaks. She blew a few bubbles with her straw before taking a sip while watching both her father and James glancing away with awkward silence. _This is so cute_!

 

Gordon ran a hand through his golden strands before grabbing for the drink as his throat was drying up. But just as he did, both his and Oswald's fingers brushed to the touch, causing the taller man to draw his arm back his cheeks reddening at the gesture before forcing a smile at Penguin with a quiet nervous chuckle, “it's okay, you go ahead, I insist.” James scratched at the lobe of his ear before he crossed his arms over the edge of the table, rubbing at his own left elbow to ease the electrifying connection. _God, I would touch you more than that if I could. Oh god, shut up man!_ “Uhm... So, I take it your little flower is feeling much better in school too?”

 

Oswald smiled at James's words, noticing his habit to scratch the back of his neck when he was shy, he missed it. It was such a cute sight, really, he almost felt jealous that he wasn't the only one to draw this response out of the man. Barbara and Lee did, too, but it was a different story with that reporter. All she did was to use him for information and sex. There was no love there, or maybe there might have been, if the girl would have separated her work from her private life...well, he was sure as hell satisfied that didn't happen.

 

Thinking about the man's previous relationships brought bitterness to his heart where it shouldn't be, especially now when they were having lunch, when they looked into each other's eyes and smiled before looking away shyly and sinking into an awkward silence before their drinks arrived, and the mayor chuckled softly to the sight of his little Ivy so excited and happy.

 

 _It will help her stay awake for a bit longer and catch up with her friends during the sleepover,_ he thought before he brushed her long ginger hair with his thin fingers and tied it softly into a ponytail so it won't bother her when their food will arrive.

 

The touch of their fingers when they both reached for the cold soda was electrifying; he could feel a shiver going through his entire body; his cheeks flushed deeply at the way James withdrew his fingers a moment later to let him have the cold beverage instead. _A gentleman as always,_ he smiled shyly when taking a small sip, sighing at all the sugar he tasted, though he couldn't help but taking another small sip before placing the glass down. “Thank you, James.”

 

He looked up at Jim again when he asked about Ivy and how she was doing in school, his eyes sparkling at the question as he grinned wide and nodded, “Actually I am homeschooling her,” he said with a protective tone of voice, and Jim didn't look very surprised at that, knowing his past in school and what he had been through from a young age.

 

The thought of his little girl going through the same and worse made his blood boil, his heart pumped through his chest to the sight of her coming home crying and sobbing when being attacked in words like daggers; he wouldn't allow it. Her innocence will remain and _anyone_ who dared to try and change that was a threat. Nothing less.

 

Calming himself, The Penguin took a short breath as a wide smile spread across his features and the madness in his eyes faded once their pizzas arrived, along with the detective’s soda. the good smell filling their noses and making their stomachs grumble as they all remembered how hungry they actually were.

 

“How is Harvey functioning as a Captain, James?” Oswald asked while picking a slice of pizza with tuna and placing it over Ivy's plate, kissing the top of her head before picking another slice for himself and one for James, stretching his hand to place it over the man's plate while listening to his words with a small smile and a nod of his head, then taking a bite of his own slice.

 

“No need to thank me.” Jim smiled at him once again, noticed at the sparkle of shy features in Oswald’s ocean blues that was oh so captivating; he chuckled softly as the smaller man took another sip of the drink before answering the question. The blonde nodded in understanding, his eyebrows raised slightly at the protectiveness in the Mayor’s voice but at the same wasn’t surprised. He remembered from when the two were still conversing, Oswald hated his tormented childhood; who wouldn’t? The man had been bullied emotionally and physically for almost his whole life, and that included the recent abuse.

 

The last thing Cobblepot wanted was for Ivy to suffer the same fate, and Gordon stood by that greatly, “I’m happy you are; there’s no better teacher to guide her than her own father. Not to mention, safe away from meanies. Ain’t that right, Ivy?” The little ginger gave a huge grin, clasped her father’s hand to caress the tension away, “Mhm! I have everything I could ever ask for, right here. Especially my father’s safety!” Pepper and Gordon exchanged comforting gazes and smiles when Oswald finally calmed down.

 

As the food arrived, Ivy let out a little squeal and a happy clap, patiently kept her composure as her dad picked out slices for each of them. She carried the large pizza with tiny fingers before taking a huge bite, pulling back to watch the cheese stretch perfectly with a muffled giggle. Finally, the string snapped all for her to chew with a happy moan, “Mmmrrrrr, so good!”

 

Jim snickered at Ivy’s enjoyment before staring down at the slice before him that made his mouth gape with hunger, stomach grumbling with need. Thank god he took the Mayor’s offer. Momentarily, he wiped the drool off the corner of his lips with a chuckle before answering Oswald’s question, “Well, not gonna lie, it’s a lot of stress, but Harvey is very much immune to the workload, and everyone respects him enough. I tried taking upon the role as captain to get some plate off his shoulders after everything he’s done for me...but instead, I got my ass kicked out of the office. But I suppose it’s for the best.”

 

He smiled at the humorous memory, then taking the pizza slice in hand before taking the same mouthful bite as Ivy’s. His chocolate browns closed, eyebrows furrowed along with a quiet moan as the cheese melted in his mouth, causing little Pepper to giggle, “Your face is funny Mr.Gordon!”

 

“Don’t judge, little lady.” He spoke muffled, before swallowing the bite down, taking a sip of his drink, and shared heartfelt grins with Oswald again.

 

Oswald could listen to James for hours, if only he had the time. Lately being with Ivy other than home schooling her or cooking for the both of them was almost impossible due to the paperwork He had to fill and events he has to pull together for the people, as well as complaints to read, and there were quite a lot, thanks to the former mayor who did nothing for the city or the people; covering for his own ass was always what kept him busy for all these years.

 

Now, he might be a criminal as well as an impulsive sociopath, but at least the people genuinely loved him and trusted him. He didn't pull any act of manipulations or false promises in order to win them over, he just told them the truth about what was going on. It's true that at first, he thought that buying the votes would be for the best, but Ed helped him see that he could win by his own. He believed in him when he didn't believe himself. Just so he could bend him over to his selfish desires right after.

 

Sighing at the memories, he focused over the blond's cheeks. They were so wide from the large bite he took they gave him the look of a chipmunk, really, and Ivy was no other. It was more than nice to see they two fooling around, and the raven haired man laughed at that before taking a larger bite himself, chewing and swallowing it down with a sip of the cold soda.

 

“Oh my god, my teeth are freezing. How much ice do they put in this?” he laughed again and wrapped his arm around Ivy’s belly a bit tighter once she began jumping softly. “Hey, hey, all that sugar in your system is getting you out of control. See why I'm not letting you drink this often?” he sighed and shook his head at her apology, taking a bite of his pizza slice before the sight of James’ twitching arm after he sipped the cold soda. “You two are unbelievable!”

 

“Drink slowly, please,” he told them both and finished the pizza slice on his plate, taking a small sip of the cold beverage before putting it back and licking his lips. Every month they would come here and stuff themselves with pizza and coca cola, but today Oswald felt awkward in front of the blond and chose not to finish the cold drink. His stomach was turning though, and he _knew_ ,he wanted more, but maybe it wasn't such a good idea. Ivy will stay awake all night with her friends and he will go to sleep early tonight. That was the plan. It's not like he had anything to do besides some paperwork he could always finish tomorrow morning.

 

“S-Sorry, Daddy!” Ivy felt her little fingers jitter as the sugar and fizz tickled her taste buds; she playfully pouted at her father’s disapproval before taking the pepperoni pizza, taking huge bites with a happy moan. She almost choked on her food as she watched Gordon taking another sip of his drink, forcing his hand to twitch later, sugar rushing through his head. “O-Oops…” The blonde and little gal laughed lightly at each other before biting their bottom lips at Oswald’s firm tone.

 

They smiled, nodded obediently before continuing to eat. The officer decided to take some of the pepperoni pizza, bit a mouthful as he chewed. His stomach was starting to feel occupied thankfully; his appetite had been empty far too long. He exchanged a few looks with Cobblepot as always, swallowing hard to clear his throat while his cheeks were tinted in blush again.

 

Every glance at those ocean blues, memories kept switching channels on a television; they’ve never been clearer than now especially. It didn’t matter when they both had ridiculous arguments back then; they fitted perfectly together despite their complicated positions. Jim remembered every moment; that gorgeous smile whenever the smaller man woke up; how his eyes shined against the streaks of the morning sun. The adorable tantrums whenever Gordon took midnight shifts at the GCPD only to come back home exhausted. Or getting his ass in trouble ever so often that Oswald swore he could kill him.

 

The blonde felt lost in thought, taking another bite, “So, little lady, anything else you're looking forward to at girls’ night? You don’t talk about boys, do you?” His coffee browns eyed at that protective glare from Oswald, causing Gordon to snicker, biting his lower lip to hide a laugh.

 

“oh my gosh no! D-Dad, I don't talk about boys I swear!... Okay maybe sometimes but that's because Selina always talked about Brucey!” Ivy held her father's hand as reassurance, feeling his nerves calm down, her lips curled into a grin, “I'm gonna wait like you, father. But no matter what, I'll always be your little girl.” She embraced him quickly before taking another bite of her pizza, shooting a playful glare at Mr. Gordon.

 

He grinned at another pure, wonderful moment, giving a wink at Pepper's direction before sipping his soda slowly this time. Jim only noticed then the dark circles under the Mayor's eyes that pinched him with concern, “I hope your duty as mayor hasn't been giving you… too much stress. Y’know, I can always help you with some of the mountain of paperwork, especially after everything that happened, and everything you've done for me.” he placed a hand over Oswald’s without a second thought whilst Ivy’s pupils shined at their connection with one another, taking a slow sip of the drink. _Come on, Daddy. Let Mr.Gordon help you!_

 

“It's alright, Ivy. But please be careful. I understand that you missed this food but there is no rush.” Oswald smiled a small smile and calmed down when she and Jim slowed down. _He must be starving, this idiot…_ he thought to himself happily when seeing the man stuff himself with a slice of pepperoni, holding back a laugh at how comfortable he and his little girl were in this ordinary restaurant, feeling himself eager to visit here again next month with the both of them again, his cheeks colored in red to the nice, relaxing thought.

 

The gazes he shared with Jim, looking into his blue eyes made him forget where he was for just a moment and sink into the specific memory of seeing the same pair of eyes right in front of him. They were both covered in blood, and the detective spared his life that day, for the first time. Pretending he shot him to death and watched his ‘body' falling over into the ice cold water when all he really did was to tell him to never come back, and shot near his ear for the ‘murder' to look real enough for Harvey to take the bait.

 

Then the memories of their time together began to float around his mind. They argued over such silly things back then. _We were young, after all,_ the mayor thought to himself in slight amusement to his threats of killing the detective for not getting enough rest, being so furious he’d pin him against a wall and tell him to take a day off.

 

Jim almost never listened.

 

The mention of boys and the possibility of Ivy speaking of them later tonight caught the former criminal’s attention and he was no longer lost in his memories. He glared at Jim, honestly wishing laser waves would burn him at the question he just asked his sweet little flower. He noticed the way she blushed and then placed her small hands over his own, which calmed him down from the urge of push Gordon down a very long staircase.

 

“I trust you,” he told her after listening to her explanation and returned the hug right away, his heartbeat slowing down to the sight of her beautiful grin. He kissed the top of her ginger head and then let her focus on the pizza slice she was eating before gazing the detective again, enjoying to watch him interact with the girl.

 

 _At least one of his ex’s tried to build a relationship with her and treated her and her father with respect and concern,_ Oswald thought to himself bitterly before listening to Jim, freezing to the feeling of the hand over his own. It felt nice. It was warm. And he knew Jim was asking because he cared, offering to help because he wanted to take some pressure off his shoulders, but… he couldn't accept the offer.

 

His stomach turned to the thought of them getting together again. What if their breakup will be uglier than last time? And what about Ivy? It was too soon. He couldn't think. _He couldn't breathe._ He could see Nygma’s smirk right in front of him, to feel his long hands and fingers touching anywhere and everywhere at once, making shivers go down his back to the thought of getting physical with the tall blond anytime soon.

 

_“Once he'll see the beautiful, destroyed man I made out of you he will run away screaming, and take Ivy with him. You'll lose everything, Oswald.”_

 

_No._

 

_“Yes! Everything and anything you ever wanted, just because you let your love, once again, to blind you. Look where it got you with me! Deeply scarred and unstable. What if you'll hurt your little girl in one of your breakdowns? You haven't told her about them, did you? The ones you scream so loud your throat bleeds right after. Or the ones where you wet the bed when thinking of me on top of you?”_

 

Oswald slowly slid his hand away, shaking his head as he kept hearing Edward's voice in his head, licking his dry lips. “No, thank you, Jim. I actually have just a few more papers to sign and I'm planning to finish them tomorrow morning. I appreciate the offer,” he gave him a small smile through the disappointment he saw in his brown eyes was very clear. And it hurt.

 

Jim held onto a certain hope to fix their relationship; their friendship to say the least by helping Oswald and Ivy as much as I could despite his working hazard at the GCPD. But he only grew more concerned when he observed the raven haired man having a little trouble breathing. He seemed to dazed in thought as well; the blonde knew that look anywhere. “Hey...are you alright?” he got his answer right away when the mayor withdrew his hand with a shake of his head.

 

Gordon paused for a moment; he felt himself being too forward with his old friend. _It’s too soon. I can’t do this. I can’t do this to him_. Penguin needed more space than ever before; other than being mayor, his highest priority was little Ivy, the officer knew that for sure. The blonde gave a nod before dropping his hand back onto his lap, “Well, alright, if you insist. But, just know I’ll always be here when you need me, okay?”

 

With a receiving nod, Jim took another bite of his pizza with a forced smile, hoping he could hide the disappointment in his coffee browns. He could come over to the Van Dahl manor if he weren’t working; Harvey certainly wouldn’t mind if it would ease some of the tension off Gordon’s shoulders. But after the response, he wouldn’t want to impose.

 

Pepper stared at their awkward silence with a little frown, knowing her father was too stubborn to ask for help most of the times. Sometimes, she would learn to make breakfast for the two of them; nothing too big, cereal and orange juice were her forte! He always reassured that his little flower didn’t need to. But she always did. In a way, that was something Jim and Ivy shared in common. They cared too much for Cobblepot.

 

 _It’s too bad Mr.Nygma wasn’t the same. He changed a lot_. She sighed quietly at the thought, distracted herself by finishing the rest of her pizza with a smile once again. The little lady let off a small burp that forced a snicker out of Mr.Gordon who managed to smile. Pepper giggled at the blonde then leaned her head at her dad’s shoulder before looking at his ocean blues, “Ugh, maybe you’re right father, I might be too heavy for you.” she mocked an over-exaggerated groan while rubbing at her stuffed belly with tiny fingers.

 

“Seems like we better get going before you pass out on your girls’ night.” Jim finished up his slice as he wiped his lips with a napkin. He called for the waitress to pack up the leftovers of tuna and pepperoni for Selina and Bridget and asked for the bill. Taking the last sip of his soda before the woman took the glass with a smile; “Thank you.” The blonde drew his attention back to Oswald to make sure he was okay after their little silence, “If you’re going to pay for lunch, at least let me take care of the tips. I won’t take no for an answer.”  
  
Gordon grinned at the mayor who seemed to smile back, causing his own heart to flutter once again. He jammed a hand into his pocket to retrieve his wallet, pulling out a few dollar bills and kindly taking the rest of the money from Oswald to give to the waitress whose mouth gaped in astonishment, “This is quite generous, thank you, kind sirs.”

 

“Not a problem.” The officer bowed his head before she continued her work, Ivy hopped off her father’s lap excitedly for tonight, taking his hand tightly as they left their table. The afternoon breeze as they stepped out of the restaurant brought a satisfactory sigh to James’ nerves. He gazed down at the embrace of Ivy’s little arms, patting her head with a grin before shifting his attention to Oswald, his cheeks flushed at those grayish blues, “Th-Thanks again, Oswald for taking me out to eat. It really helped my mind to… relax, once in awhile.”

 

Oswald felt relief at the way he managed to cover up how shaken up he actually was. His quick heartbeat and panic were hidden from James though he did notice how he struggled to breathe. Still, he got away with it with minimal suspicion and without worrying Ivy, and that what mattered.

 

He knew he needed help. A professional one. He couldn't deal with any more of the flashbacks of everything Edward has done to him and fictions his mind made of what he _could do_ , too. He felt like control was slipping through his fingers but he focused himself a time after time, a breakdown after a breakdown but it was only luck. Nothing more.

 

The support given to him by Jim, saying he would be there for him if he needed help, _and he did, he was just trying to self-treat himself which lead into more I'm of self-control he was responsible to,_ calmed him and he nodded his head although he knew that he wasn't going to ask for any kind of help from the sad detective.

 

The fake smile and those disappointed brown eyes made his heart ache in pain and annoyance to the fact that he was ruining their what was supposed to be a relaxing lunch! But now he was loading the detective with his problems as if he wasn't drained enough from all that happened with Lee.

 

The little burp Ivy let out caught him by surprise. He patted her back a few times and sighed to the way she leaned against his shoulder and was careful not to lean over his bad leg when hugging him, drawing a small laugh out of him at her words. “It's going to take a lot more than a few slices of pizza for you to be too heavy to sit on my leg, Ivy, I promise you.” he rubbed her freckled cheek and kissed the top of her ginger hair, feeling his worries fading and once again peace of mind taking the empty space instead.

 

The way that Jim took control of everything and asked the waitress to pack the leftovers and bring them the bill was nostalgic, really. Oswald remembered that when they were still together more often than not the man would take care of everything and anything and that would be it. Unfortunately, this was one of the many reasons they broke up.

 

Shaking the memory away the mayor smiled when he was checked by the detective, blushing a little at how much he cared. _I don't deserve you,_ He thought and sighed. “Alright, alright. No objection from me,” he chuckled and took out his wallet, paying for the pizzas and three beverages, giving the money to James to hand it to the sweet waitress. leaning back while he rubbed Ivy’s stomach to ease the tension she felt. “Don't force yourself to eat later, okay? You should lay down for awhile when we will get home,” he whispered in her ear and kissed the top of her head again.

 

“Thank you for the great service,” he gave her a nod and smiled happily when gazing Jim, feeling his stomach twisting with butterflies as if he was nothing but a lovesick teenager, but he wasn't _._ He let Ivy lead them out of the restaurant as she held over his left hand so he could hold his cane with his right one, limping after her with James walking beside them.

 

The cool air against their skin made him take a deep breath and smile when a breeze passed right against his back. Causing a shiver to go down his spine as the gray sky comforted him in a way before he turned his head to watch the talk blond, focusing on his flushed cheeks that made him feel pride at the shy side James often refused to show to anyone but _him,_ and Ivy, in this case. It was so cute.

 

Shaking his head at how thankful the man was, he chuckled. “Thank _you,_ James. We both needed this time off. Both me and Ivy are very happy that you joined us. I'm sure that Harvey is, too. We should try a different restaurant again soon, how about hamburgers and fries next month?” he offered with a raised brow. “You're paying. I know you don't let me spoil you again like today… But I'm letting you know that the ice cream is on me. What do you say? Do we have a deal?”

 

_A different kind of a deal than the ones I used to ask from you. I only hope you find this amusing as I do._

 

Jim scratched at the back of his golden hair bashfully at the thanks, wiping the sweat off his forehead. Those ocean blues, and those pretty pink lips were getting too hypnotizing, the blonde was in such need to leave but he tried something stupid. Again. “Well, I’m very happy to keep you two company. Wouldn’t miss for the for the world; and yes, Bullock feels the same, and he’s relieved I’m getting some time off.”

 

The officer’s lips curled into an excited grin at the thought of trying another restaurant; he jammed his hands in his pockets, “Y-Yeah! I’d love that. Gotta keep my stomach occupied.” He sucked at his left inner cheek before letting off a soft laugh at the deal, “As long as you’re letting me pay this time and spoil me with some ice cream in return, yeah. I’d love that. It’s a deal.” _How things have changed for the both us. In a good way. In amazing ways_.

 

Gordon shook Oswald’s hand, his fingers quivered within the grip; the need of that warmth rippling through his nerves, his cheeks only burning ever more so. The blonde pulled the Mayor into a quick embrace, before breaking the connection as quickly as possible, looking away a few second to recollect his words before gazing back at the smaller man, “U-Uhm… anyways, I gotta go. Harvey needs me. I’ll see you too sometime?”  
  
“Yes, Mr. Gordon! Don’t work too hard!” The officer ruffled Ivy’s ginger hair, giving him another hug while Jim chuckled at the kindness, “Take care you both. Good day.”  
  
Ivy nodded before taking her father’s hand before they walked away into the streets. The blonde’s smile never fading even as he started pacing his way back to the precinct. Every part of the day replayed in his mind over, and over, almost for eternity. Indulging the conversations he had with Penguin; the sympathy they shared for one another despite the past. The love in those greyish blues when Cobblepot talked so proudly of little Ivy. They will always have each other no matter what darkness might come their way. And Jim would always promise to keep them in the light, even though it meant he’d sink into that abyss again.

 

_But even if it hurts, it’s just what I do best._

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hoo boy, got a little tension there but the fluff is great! isn't it?  
> Feel free to read through our other works while you wait for the next chapter!
> 
> You can also find us here on tumblr:  
> http://madhattey.tumblr.com/  
> https://will-grammer.tumblr.com/


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